Artwork

Ce qui ramènera... nos députés à Paris

Ce qui ramènera... nos députés à Paris, by Honoré Daumier, 1871
Ce qui ramènera... nos députés à Paris, by Honoré Daumier, 1871

Ce qui ramènera... nos députés à Paris is a print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1871, *Ce qui ramènera.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1871, *Ce qui ramènera... nos députés à Paris* is a gillotype executed on newsprint. The work presents a bustling urban scene in which a procession of figures moves uniformly toward the left, featuring a woman in dark attire clutching an infant and a top‑hat‑wearing gentleman leaning on a cane. The composition captures a moment of collective motion within a public space.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts ordinary citizens navigating a crowded street, suggesting a shared civic journey. The juxtaposition of a maternal figure and a formally dressed man hints at the coexistence of different social strata, while the forward thrust of the crowd may allude to the populace’s role in influencing political outcomes during a turbulent era.

Technique & Style

Daumier employed a gillotype process that reproduces the texture of newspaper paper, deliberately embracing a coarse, uneven line quality. This roughness imparts a sense of immediacy and kinetic energy, echoing the hurried nature of news dissemination and reinforcing the urgency of the scene’s political undertones.

History & Provenance

The artist, a leading French caricaturist, produced the image amid the aftermath of the Franco‑Prussian War and the Paris Commune. Though originally circulated in satirical journals, the work later entered private collections before being acquired by public institutions, reflecting its continued relevance as a document of 19th‑century political discourse.

Context

The year 1871 marked a period of intense political upheaval in France, with republican ideals confronting monarchical and imperial legacies. Daumier’s print aligns with his broader engagement in republican advocacy, using everyday street scenes to comment on the shifting power dynamics and the emerging voice of the French citizenry.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Honoré Daumier

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.